Review

To me, there are few things more enjoyable in life than seeing a band/artist I like put on a live show. Whether it's the kind of live event that has me being shoved around in a large pile of frantically flinging bodies or the kind that has me staring totally transfixed at the people/person on stage, there's just something about the atmosphere that, quite frankly, cannot be matched. Being a part of a large multitude of people all present for the same reason, all screaming out lyrics, packing closest to the stage as possible, all moving to the ebb and flow of the music, it makes one forget about everything else in life except what's going on in that very moment. Few groups can match the intensity of a scene like this like Douglasville, Georgia's The Chariot can.

From the get-go, The Chariot have always been about giving their fans the most memorable experience possible, and at that, they excel. They are truly a spectacle to behold. Each member is seldom ever standing still, and at times it's hard to keep track of where they all are. They purposely play small stages in order to better their crowd interaction, and are frequently diving into the outstretched hands of their fans, all the while still playing. It's this experience that The Chariot try to capture on their albums.

Their first three outings, while still good, had a certain umpf lacking. When Long Live came out, The Chariot seemed to have gotten closer to that desired sound. The record was powerful, intense, gratifying, and had a great deal of staying power. It was a complete tidal wave of a record. But if you consider that record to be a tidal wave, then you could only call One Wing a tsunami. Everything here is bigger, better, and is exploding with that umpf factor.

Much like their other albums One Wing is a brief affair. While it is their longest so far, it still clocks in at a meager 30 and a half minutes, and it feels like it too. But in that short run time, The Chariot say all they need to say, and do all they need to do. The album is for the most part standard The Chariot fare, only more focused. Dissonance and chaos abound, the tracks fly by at a break neck pace, barely allowing the listener enough time to catch their breath before being pummeled by the next slab of bedlam. "Forget" is fast and frantic, constantly shifting from one melody to another at dizzying speeds. "Not" is slightly more melodic but still just as turbulent, and features a passage bordering on spoken word towards the end. "First" and "Tongues" rival that of Long Live's "The City" as The Chariot's best tracks to date. The former opens up much like any other song would, but stops mid song and launches into a western style section complete with horns, building in volume until Scogin's vocals return to close out the song. "Tongues" follows a similar pattern, with a middle section instead composed of pounding drums, soft piano, and Scogin's trademark howls.

The most surprising aspect with One Wing is the tracks "Your" and "Speak." "Your" provides a very brief moment of rest, and can only be compared (and might I add very loosely) to The Fiancee's "The Trumpet" by being void of any sort of discord and abrasiveness. Instead it is an organ-backed song that would be very fit to play to young children. But "Speak" is a different beast entirely. Backed by only a piano, Scogin bellows his most heart-wrenching, spine-tingling lyrics yet, and proves yet again why he is one of the best, if not the best harsh vocalist today.

One Wing is quite the ride. Everything The Chariot have ever done up to this point is perfected here. It's packed with that harsh abrasive style of metalcore that they're known for, but also shows that they are willing to step outside their comfort zone. Above all, One Wing proves that The Chariot, while already well ahead of most of the competition, are only just getting started.